Boot or shoe strap



J. L. ROUSMANIE-RE.

(No Model.)

BOOT 0R SHOE STRAP.

No. 367,850. Patented Aug. 9, 1887.

mmr'e,

N. PETERS, PimmLilhngl-nphur, Walhingtorb D. C.

UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

' JOHN L. ROUSMANIERE, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

- BOOT OR SHOE STRAP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N6. 367,850, dated August 9, 1887.

' I Application flieaa m'eo, res-1. Serial No. 236,552. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN L. ROUSMANIERE, of Boston, county of Suffolk, and State of Mas sachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Boot or Shoe Straps, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention has for its object to provide a boot or shoe with a novel, inexpensive, and durable strap.

In accordance with my invention I take a piece of woven fabric, cut it preferably in the direction of the Warp to form strips,which are then folded by a guide, or in other usual manner, longitudinally and subjected to pressure, the cloth having preferably been stiffened, glued, pasted, or cemented, so as to adhere to get-her at points when subjected to pressure. The rolls employed in pressing the foldedstrip together act upon the central part of the folded strip, (not its folded edges) the pasted, cemented, or glued portions of the cloth adhering together when subjected to pressure.

In practicel have ascertained that a textile strip produced by folding cloth upon itself is very much stronger and more durable if the folded edges are not pressedand creased, for folding and creasing the edges cracks or weakens the edges. Again, by leaving the folded edges unpressed and in the condition due only to folding, a rounded or thick edge is formed,

which presents the appearance of ordinary webbing wherein the selvage is thicker than the main body of the web. This general resemblance to the more expensive woven webbing is yet further attained by providing the rolls with annular or other grooves or projections, which leave some part of the folded strip between its edges unacted upon, and consequentl y thicker, the thicker or raised portions constituting embossing. If desired, this em- 'bossing may be omitted; but it is preferred, be-

cause it gives to the boot on shoe strap the appearance to agreater degree of a woven or thereof, and Fig. 4 a pair of rolls for pressing the folded strip.

The boot A is or maybe of any usual shape and material. The straps B are composed of strips of cloth having out instead of selvage edges.

The strip of cloth for the production of my improved strap is in practice run through a folding-guide of usual or suitable construction, which will fold the strip longitudinally upon itself in parallel lines, the overlappingbeing more or less, as desired.

Herein the strip is shown as having its out edges nearly brought together at the longitudinal center of the strap.

The folded strip, preferably coated at its unfolded side with cement, glue, paste, or other suitable stiffening material,will be subjected to pressure by being passed between rolls 0 0, (shown partially in Fig. 4,) so shaped as to act upon the body of the strip between its folded edges to of the strip, the latter not being compressed or pinched, but being 'keptin the condition as when issuing from the guide, left with enlarged rounded edges, edges which not being weakened by pressure and creasing are stronger than if pressed. Further, the folded uncreased edges cause the strap to present the appearance of webbing in which a rib is formed at the selvage by increasing the number of warp-threads.

The body of the strap between its folded unpressed edges a will preferably be embossed longitudinally or in design-preferably longitudinally-Joy means of annulargrooves in the rollers, the grooves enabling the material at each side thereof being pressed to stand out as a raised rib, such ribs yet further giving tothc strap the appearance of webbing.

I do not claim a strap formed by folding a piece of woven material upon itself and subjecting the same to pressure from edge to edge, creasing or pinching the folded edge as much as its central portion.

My improved strap is very strong, is very cheap to manufacture, and being provided with enlarged edges closely resembles woven webbing.

A boot or shoe provided with my improved straps can be sold cheaper than when a good class of Webbing is employed.

I clain1-- 1. The combination, with a boot or shoe, of

astrap composed of cloth folded upon itself and compressed in the central portion, leaving the edges of the strap unpressed or creased to present the appearance of a cord or enlarged 5 selvage, substantially as described.

2. A boot or shoe strap composed of aeloth folded upon itself and pressed together along its central part and not at its edges, leaving the said edges unereased and thicker than at 10 the centrallypressed body part of the strap,

substantially as described.

3. A boot or shoe strap composed of cloth folded upon itself and pressed together between but not atits edges, the said strap being embossed between its unpressed and enlarged I 5 edge, for the purpose described.

41-. A boot or shoe strap composed of cloth folded upon itself, the said strap being em bossed between its edges, for the purpose do scribed.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN L. ROUSMANIERE.

\Vitnesses:

G. W. GREGORY, 13. D EWAR. 

